| Paint Creek | |
| Map: | Paint Creek WV map.png |
| Map Size: | 300 |
| Pushpin Map Size: | 300 |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of the river mouth in West Virginia |
| Subdivision Type1: | Country |
| Subdivision Name1: | United States |
| Subdivision Type2: | State |
| Subdivision Name2: | West Virginia |
| Subdivision Type3: | Counties |
| Subdivision Name3: | Raleigh, Fayette, Kanawha |
| Length: | 42.1miles |
| Source1 Location: | northern Raleigh County |
| Source1 Coordinates: | 37.8089°N -81.2694°W |
| Source1 Elevation: | 2322feet[1] |
| Mouth: | Kanawha River |
| Mouth Location: | Hansford |
| Mouth Coordinates: | 38.2094°N -81.3917°W |
| Mouth Elevation: | 604feet |
| Basin Size: | 123sqmi |
Paint Creek is a 42.1miles[2] tributary of the Kanawha River in southern West Virginia. Paint Creek is part of the Mississippi River watershed via the Kanawha and Ohio Rivers and drains an area of .[3]
Paint Creek rises in north central Raleigh County and flows along County Route 7 north through Sweeneyburg and Maynor. At Maynor, the creek continues north along the West Virginia Turnpike.[4] The creek follows the turnpike north into Fayette County, where it runs through the communities of Willis Branch, Pax, Long Branch, and Lively before curving to the northwest. Past Mossy and East Kingston, the creek briefly turns away from the highway before following it through Westerly, Milburn, Coalfield, Mahan, and Collinsdale.[5] The creek then enters Kanawha County, where it heads north through Burnwell, Greencastle, and Whittaker. At Standard, Paint Creek Road turns away from the turnpike to follow County Route 83 (Paint Creek Road) north through Livingston and Gallagher.[6] The creek flows north through Hollygrove before reaching its mouth at the Kanawha River in Hansford.[7]
Paint Creek was named for the fact Indians blazed trees using natural paint.[8]